TokyoVoid.com: linking void with potential.
Welcome to TokyoVoid.com.
This website is designed to link void and potential of Tokyo’s temporary vacant urban spaces.
We believe that the use of temporary void spaces can contribute to the sustainable urban regeneration of Tokyo. The temporary use of Tokyo’s void spaces offers the chance to create a flexible network of small open, green, fun, relaxing, safe spaces.
Currently (2011) Tokyo has about 5sqm of park space for each citizen. New York has about 25sqm.
Most parks and green spaces are concentrated in Tokyo's center. If you are interested in a late afternoon picnic, you might be unlucky because most parks close at 5 and do have restrictions in accessing lawns and consuming food...
But Tokyo also has about 2.5sqm of vacant land for each citizen. The small and dispersed spaces are found in each neighborhood. They are vacant for months, or years giving us a great way to consider possibilities for their (temporal) uses.
Activating the temporary vacant spaces can increase Tokyo’s public green space by 50%! Currently Tokyo has 6% parks and green and 3% vacant space. If it becomes possible to use the vacant space, Tokyo will be 50+
Consider the possibilities a temporary use of Tokyo’s void spaces offer:
- Green space for kids
- Flowers and grass for elderly
- Yoga gardens for all
- Small community farm and gardens
- Event and performance spaces
- Matsuri and cultural events
- Community workspace
- Ballgames, sports
- Get together and chatting
- And even disaster mitigation!
We are very interested in connecting like minded people who bring the desire for open green spaces and creative uses together@ TOKYO VOID!
The more people are interested in the idea of flexible and temporary sharing of space, the more possibilities will be created!
In everything, no matter what it may be, uniformity is undesirable. Leaving something incomplete makes it interesting, and gives it one the feeling that the is room for growth.
Kenko, Essays in Idleness, 1331
These are TOKYO's VOIDS. Some are large, most are very small, and all are there in the urban fabric - waiting?
TOKYO VOID is a research project developed and coordinated by
Marieluise Jonas RMIT University, Melbourne and
Heike Rahmann The University of Melbourne
in cooperation with OTA Laboratory of Tokyo University
http://www.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/cgi/teacher.cgi?prof_id=otah&eng=0
We would like to hear from you:
hello@tokyovoid.com
